World Notes CHILE

The nominating process was dubbed Super Tuesday, but any resemblance between the meeting at the Ministry of Defense in Santiago last week and the U.S. primaries was in name only. In less than an hour, a handful of top military men had named President Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, Chile's ruler of 15 years, as the only candidate in an Oct. 5 plebiscite. Pinochet appeared on the balcony of the presidential palace and urged citizens to keep Chile "sovereign and free."

His opponents had a more immediate goal. Taking advantage of the lifting of a state of emergency two weeks ago, thousands took to the streets in a thunderous protest of the vote. The army moved in with tear gas and water cannons. Three people were killed, and 21 wounded. The plebiscite is actually a referendum on Pinochet's rule. A si vote would keep him in power until 1997. A no would bring open elections next year.